Stanley elevated to editor of Petoskey News-Review

February 07, 2007|By Jeremy McBain, News-Review News Editor

PETOSKEY - Kendall P. Stanley has joined an exclusive group of employees at the Petoskey News-Review.

Stanley, 58, has been named editor of the newspaper, joining only two others who held that title since the Petoskey News-Review was created from the merger of the Northern Michigan Review and Petoskey Evening News in the 1950s. The first editor of the Petoskey News-Review was Jim Doherty, who held the position until his death in 1982. Ken Winter was the editor and publisher of the newspaper until his departure in late March 2006.

"It's a privilege to be in the company of Jim Doherty and Ken Winter," Stanley said.

Stanley has been the managing editor of the newspaper for the past 14 years.

Doug Caldwell, publisher of the Petoskey News-Review, said the decision to make Stanley the editor actually was made some time ago.

"I think the transition will be relatively seamless. He has been doing the job since I arrived," Caldwell said.

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"Kendall (Stanley) has demonstrated his leadership skills in the editorial department since Schurz (Communications Inc.) purchased the organization. His greatest asset is he not only has been a part of the Petoskey area for 50-plus years, he knows the people, knows the families, has a great demeanor, is patient and also demonstrates a real caring for the people in the northern Michigan area," Caldwell added. "By looking internally for candidates for top positions, it provides (readers) with an editor that knows the area and has a handle on the top stories over the past 20 years."

Stanley said there will not be many changes in the newsroom, but he is going to be out in the community more than when he was the managing editor. He will also be spending more time working with regional publications, the Gaylord Herald Times and the Charlevoix Courier, as well as the newspaper's online product.

For the readers, he said his goals this year are to expand the local news offerings and make the newspaper more visual, as well as tackling the online presence of the company. He is working on the regional impact of the newspaper, by working with the Gaylord Herald Times and the Charlevoix Courier on coordinating and sharing stories.

In the online realm, Stanley said it will give the newspaper more ways to give readers more information. For example, stories that did not make it in the newspaper because of space, can be put online.

Reporters will also be able to include items with their stories that they are not able to include in the print version. For example, if a reporter writes a story about a city budget, the online version of the story can include a link to the actual budget.

He added readers will also soon see electronic editions of the Petoskey News-Review, which is great for people who go south for the winter, but still want to get their newspaper on time each day.

"There are all kinds of things that will add value to what reporters and editors are doing," he said.

Stanley said this is a challenging and exciting time for newspapers.

"The daily newspaper reading habit is declining. The challenge is increasing the number of readers. The opportunity is you don't necessarily have to reach them with a print product anymore," he said.

Stanley was born and raised in Harbor Springs - his parents still live in the same house he grew up in. After graduating from Harbor Springs High School in 1966, he attended North Central Michigan College and then Central Michigan University, which he graduated from in 1970. From 1970 to 1971, he was a reporter at the Presque Isle County Advance in Rogers City, then worked for the Harbor Light in Harbor Springs from October 1971 to December 1977.

He joined the Petoskey News-Review as a reporter in August 1978 covering Petoskey city government, Emmet County government and cops and courts. After nine years on the beat, he was named the wire editor for the newspaper, a position he held for five years before being named the managing editor in 1993.

He is married to Diana, a retired Petoskey School District speech pathologist, and has one daughter, Bree, a high school English teacher in Bangkok, Thailand, who he said are very pleased and proud of his new position.

"From 36 years, heading onto 37 years, I had the privilege of living and working in the area I grew up in. It is very rewarding to be able to spend my career in a great part of Michigan," Stanley said.